1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to nanoscale applications, and in particular, to an actuator system for making a precise three-dimensional nanoscale movement of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many nanoscale applications including a nanoscale data storage device need to move one plane near another plane three-dimensionally. This movement requires a nanoscale precision and those planes must be parallel to each other. In general, a parallel displacement relative to a plane takes a larger movement space than a perpendicular displacement. The primary consideration for the nanoscale movement is that displacement must not involve friction, that is, only the elastic transformation of a solid material (i.e. bending, or expansion and contraction) is allowed. A current known method of making a movement with a nanoscale precision relies on the use of an electromagnetic actuator.
A distinctive drawback to the conventional electromagnetic actuator is that it leads to a narrow bandwidth due to magnetic field, heat, and slow speed.